Henry stepped cautiously into the next chamber, his bow already drawn. His eyes widened.
Felix lay crumpled on the cold stone floor, his body soaked in blood. Three orcs already lay dead around him, their hulking forms sprawled in silence. But two remained towering over Felix, their tusked mouths twisted in cruel satisfaction.
The orcs stiffened when they sensed Henry's presence. Slowly, they turned, confusion flashing across their brutish faces. He was supposed to be dead. They had believed their chief had already finished him.
Henry's voice cracked with rage.
"No… what have you done!?"
The orcs glanced at one another, snarling, before charging at him in unison.
Henry exhaled sharply, steadied his bow, and loosed two arrows in rapid succession.
*Whew*
*Whew*
Both shafts struck true, burying deep into their skulls. The monsters collapsed with heavy thuds, twitching once before falling still.
[You've just killed an unarmored Orc +10 Experience point ]
[You've just killed an unarmored Orc +10 Experience point]
Henry dropped his bow and rushed to Felix's side. He knelt, trembling, only to see blood pouring freely from Felix's chest wound.
"I'm… sorry," Felix stammered, his lips trembling. "Wish… I could still… help."
"I should've stayed close to you" Henry whispered with tears falling from his eyes, and then, with one final gasp, Felix was gone.
Henry froze. The silence pressed heavy on him, heavier than the dungeon walls themselves. His fists clenched.
"Foolish orcs… " Henry whispered as more tears dropped from his eyes.
"Rest in peace Felix"
Henry closed his eyes, inhaling shakily, and forced himself to move. A faint shimmer caught his attention—just above the bodies of the slain orcs, crystals floated, glowing faintly. Henry reached out and seized one, his thoughts flashing back to the fallen orc chief.
'The Orc Chief might have dropped a crystal as well.'
Trusting his instincts, Henry retraced his steps. And there it was, hovering just above the massive corpse of the orc chief, a crystal pulsed with pale light.
Without hesitation, Henry grabbed both crystals, swallowing them down.
[+1 Evolution Crystal Absorbed]
[+1 Evolution Crystal Absorbed]
[Evolution Crystals: 9/10]
"Just one more. One more and I'll evolve." Henry whispered and then used up his stat point
The system screen unfolded before his eyes:
[Strength +2]
[Stamina +1]
[Agility +1]
[Vitality +1]
[STATUS]
[Name: Henry]
[Race: Goblin]
[Class: Marksman]
[SP: 0]
[Level: 3]
[EXP: 260/300]
[Evolution Crystals: 9/10]
[HP: 25/25]
[Strength: 14]
[Agility: 12]
[Stamina: 12]
[Vitality: 12]
[Skills: Inspect Lv.2, Bouncing Arrows]
"Bouncing arrows" Henry whispered and smiled, he glanced back at the chief's body. His armor and sword gleamed faintly under the dim light.
"I won't let this go to waste."
Piece by piece, he stripped the orc chief of his gear, grunting at the weight. He shoved the armor and sword into his inventory. "Heavier than I thought…"
On his way back, he collected five more orc swords, storing them quickly. He then opened the door the orcs had entered from. Light spilled through, and Henry's heart skipped.
"Outside?" he whispered. "Am I… done with the dungeon?"
(Yes. You have completed the dungeon.)
A new notification appeared.
[You have reached the End of the Dungeon]
Relief hit him like a wave.
"Yes!" Henry shouted. He stepped out, breathing in the night air, cool wind brushed across his face.
After walking a short while, he spotted a fruit-laden tree. The sight made his mouth water, though he realized he hadn't felt hunger since his last meal.
"Rai… why don't I feel hungry anymore?"
(Food and rest restores health. When health is full, hunger does not occur.)
"Ah… I see. So that's how it works here." He smiled faintly. "Still… those fruits look too ripe to ignore."
With a quick flick of his slingshot, he shot a stem, and the fruit dropped neatly to the ground. He bit into it, juice running down his chin.
"Delicious."
Leaning against the tree trunk, he gazed at the stars above. His thoughts grew heavy.
"So this is my life now. A goblin. No hunger when health is full. Forced to kill to grow stronger. I never imagined this… but if survival demands it, then I'll endure. There has to be a reason for my reincarnation."
Minutes passed in silence until a rustle in the darkness snapped him alert. He straightened, bow in hand. Two glowing red eyes pierced the shadows.
"What… is that?"
The creature stepped into the moonlight, a rabbit, small yet strange, a sharp horn jutting from its forehead.
Henry narrowed his eyes.
"Inspect."
[Name: ???]
[Race: Horned Rabbit]
[Level: 3]
[HP: 10]
[Strength: 5]
[Agility: 5]
[Defense: 4]
[Skills: None]
"Its just a rabbit and can't do any.." just as Henry was about to complete his words the rabbit suddenly leapt with startling speed, ramming its horn into Henry's shoulder.
[-10 HP]
[HP: 15/25]
Henry hissed in pain. "What the fuck... His horn has high damage rate"
The rabbit bounded higher this time, aiming for his face. Henry rolled aside, pulled his bowstring taut, and released. The arrow whistled through the night, striking true. The rabbit's head snapped back, and its body dropped lifelessly.
[You have just killed a Horned Rabbit]
[+10 Experience point]
Henry wiped his brow, panting.
"A rabbit… this dangerous? What kind of world is this…"
He stared at the rabbit for a while then grabbed the crystal floating inches away from it's body.
"Finally… I can evolve."
He swallowed the crystal whole.
[Evolution Crystals: 10/10]
[Evolving…]
[Evolving…]
[Evolving…]
[Evolution Failed]
[Unable to Evolve. Minimum Requirement: Level 5]
Henry's face twisted in disbelief.
"What? No! You've got to be kidding me!"